This invention relates to combining of the ear of corn as well as the windrowing of the cornstalks. Conventionally, corn pickers remove the ears from the stalks and process those ears on through the machine, while leaving the stalks flattened against the ground while still secured to their root structure. The stalks left in this condition are difficult to pick up and utilize for corn fodder or silage. It is thus desirable that a machine be provided that will not only remove the ears of corn from the stalks but cut the stalks and put them into a windrow whereupon they can be easily picked up and utilized as desired, such as by being processed through a chopping machine. Optionally, it may be desirable to spread the cut stalks directly back onto the ground and additionally, it may be desirable to shred the cut stalks before they are placed on the ground. The attachment thus should have the capability of shredding, windrowing and returning the stalks directly to the ground.
Gathering chains for feeding the stalks into the cutters heretofore have been horizontally disposed and require complicated drive systems and thus there should be provision for a vertically disposed gathering chain having upper and lower sections.
The snapping rollers should engage the stalks first before the stalks are cut.